Hat-flanging machine



2 SHEETSSHEET I.

FIG. 2.

Patnted Nov. 2, 1920.

T. TRAVIS.

HAT FLANGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-26,1920L FIG. 1

w w Haiti .7 I Q 6 K j T. TRAVIS.

HAT FLANGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mmzs, 1920.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT orrics.

THURLQW' TRAVIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

HAT-FLANGING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed January 26, 1929. Serial No. 354,111.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l, 'inunnow Trivia, a citizen of the United States of An'ierica residing at Brooklyn in the county oiliings and tit-ate oil New York. have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Hat- Flanging lilachines of which the "following is a specification.

The primary object of the present invention has particular reference to the formation of a flange or brim upon a felt hat wherein the hat is secured to a shiitable die member for moving into forming contact with a flexible device.

ii. further object of the inventioninmudes in a hat flanging machine a vertical movable die and a flexible forming member suspended over said die for contact thereby with the embedding into the forming member of the die.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in the novel form, combination andarrangement of parts herein fully described and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings,

Figure 'l is a side elevational view of a hat Hanging machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, the 'i'ormer and die being separated, with the die illustrated. by dotted lines in its partially elevated position and with the ceiling structure tor supporting the former shown in section,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view similar to F l with the die elevated into contact with the former,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the former showing the asbestos covering for confining the heat and the steam passage within the :torm and Fig. lis an enlarged vertical sectional view, partially broken away of the die and former with a hat clamped upon the die.

The present invention having particular reference to a hat hanging machine, there are provided two coacting members for forming the flange or brim upon a felt hat, the die being supported upon a table and being vertically adjustable by pneumatic de vices into contact with the former that is rigidly although adjustably suspended from the ceiline' directly above the die. The

former embodies a flexible cloth bottom sec tion containing sand or the like with a steam passage above the sand for conveying heat thereto while an asbestos covering overlies the stean'i passage for confining the heat in the former and directing the same onto the filling in the former.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a hat flanging machine embodying a work table 5 having a central opening in the top thereof that receives the upper end of a cylinder 6 mounted upon the base 7 upon the floor as shown. A piston 8 carried by the piston head. 9 that is movable in the cylinder 6 carries a plate 10 upon its upper end that is secured as at 11 to a hollow die supporting block 12. As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, a die 13 is suitably secured to the die supporting block 12 and has a central opening that is continuous with the opening in the die supporting block 12 while the upper edge of the die 13 is continuously curved as illustrated in Fig. t while the peripheral face of said die adjacent its lower edge is provided with an annular groove 14;.

1". he former associated with the die 13 is more cle rly shown in Fig. 3 and embodies a metallic casing formed of a U-shaped channel member embodying an inner wall to, an outer wall l6 and a connecting wall 17 having riveted or otherwise secured thereto as at 18, adome-shaped cover 19, while an annular band 20 is secured to the outer wall 16 by the connecting bolts 21. A domeshaped men'iber 22 is riveted or otherwise secured as at 23 to the upper edge of the band 20 and maintains an equal space from the domeshaped member 19 over its entire.

surface. ii substantially circular fabric sheet 25% is secured at its edges exteriorly of the outer walls 16 of the channel members by the bolts 21 and in normal position depends from said channel member as illustrated in Fig. 3. A filling tube 25 extends through the center or the dome-shaped members l9 and 22 and is opened at its lower end while the upper end is closed by a hinged cover 26 to facilitate the introduction into the former of sand. or like material 27. A relatively thick asbestos covering 28' incloses the entire upper end of the former and extends over the dome-shaped member 22 while vertically adjustable hangers 29 connected to the dome-shaped member 22 depend from the ceiling structure 30 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The space between 7 die 13 with the peripheral edge thereof ex- 7 the dome-shaped members 19 and 22 and the inner and outer walls 15 and 16 of the channel member constitutes a steam spaceand is supplied by an inlet pipe 31 while a drain or outlet pipe 32 is oppositely disposed to the inlet pipe '31 and preferably communicat'es with a'steam trap, not shown.

' In the operation of the device, a felt hat 33 has the crown thereof extended into the opening within the die 13 and die supporting block 12 while the brim or flange of the hat extends over the outer .t'ace oi the tended within the die groove 14 by the retaining band 3 1. Fluid under pressure is admitted to the lower end of the cylinder 6 by means oithe pipe 35 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and is controlled by the three-way valve 36. By operating the valve 36, the fluid enters the cylinder G'and moves the piston 9'upwardly therein so that the piston rod supporting upon its upper end the die 13 will elevate said die into contact with the'fabric sheet 24 of the former. The die will move into the former to assume the position illustrated in Fig. l so that the central part or" the former will depend into the central openings in the die and die supporting block. Steam being continuously delivered to the space between the dome-shaped members 19 and 22 with the heat confined by the asbestos covering 28 will radiate from the metal plates 19 and 22 into the space within the inner dome 19 thus to heat the sand or like filling within the former and for heating the flange upon the hat 33. With the die and former so positioned and with steam continuously passing between the dome-shaped members 19 and 22, the radiation of heat through the sand to the hat remains constant and a comparatively short period of time is required for com pletely forming the flange or brim upon the hat. If desired, the die may be raised and lowered several times to present a new surface of sand to the flange of the hat supported 011 the die so as to produce a quicker heating and forming of the hat flange. Then the pressing operation is completed,

the three-way valve 36 is operated to permit the fluid within the cylinder 6 to exhaust with a subsequent lowering of the die 13.. The hat 33 is then removed from the die 13 by releasing the flange thereof upon the removal of the retaining member 34: and the steps may thenbe employed for finishing the hat in the usual manner.

a die movable into intimate contact with said former.

2. A let flanging machine of the type described comprising a former, said former embodying spaced metallic walls, means for supplying heat to the spice between said walls, a flexible sheet depending from said walls, means extending through said walls to permit the introduction into said former of heat radiating material and means for confining the heat within the former.

.3. A hat flanging machine of the type described comprising a former, said former embodying spaced metallic walls, means for supplying heat to-the space between said wall, a flexible sheet depending from said walls, means extending through said walls to permit the introduction into said former of heat radiating material, meansfor confining the heat within the former, and a hat supporting die movable into intimate contact with said flexible sheet for changing the contour of said sheet during the formng of a at flange- In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THURLOW TRAVIS. 

